Nigerians troop out to welcome Paralympians from Rio

Rio Olympic Paralympic Games Games: Team Nigeria departs Rio

Several hundred Nigerians on Sunday turned out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja to welcome the first batch of victorious 2016 Paralympics athletes from Rio in Brazil.

The Team Nigeria to the Paralympics Games which ended on Sunday won 12 medals in Rio.

Receiving the athletes, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Luka Jonathan, congratulated the athletes for making the country proud.

Jonathan, who is the Director of Youths in the ministry, said the athletes have put the country on top of other African countries on the medals table.

“Today is a wonderful day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in it.

“We are celebrating you now because you have done this country proud.

“History was made with your victorious outing to Rio.

“We appreciate your individual and collective efforts which have placed Nigeria on a very prominent position on the medals table.

“I am happy that Nigeria has led other African nations in this Games,’’ he said.

Jonathan promised that there would be a proper reception for the athletes when they had all returned from Rio.

The Assistant Captain of the team and a silver medallist in power-lifting, Esther Oyema, thanked the government and the people of Nigeria for their support and prayers.

She thanked Nigerians for the reception at the airport, saying such had never happened before.

Oyema said the team was able to win medals because the members were determined to make the country proud.

Roland Ezuruike, gold medallist in -54kg power-lifting, attributed their success to God, hard work and determination.

He called on government to reward them by doing something that would better their lives.

Comments

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...

Global Naija Info

Search This Blog